50's rosters

[Anonymous]

I am modelling a fictional railroad in the early 1950's. My railroad runs from Erie, PA to Annapolis, MD, via Baltimore, Harrisburg, and Lock Haven, with branches to Allentown, PA, and Youngstown, OH. I was wondering what an early-to mid-transition-era locomotive roster would consist of. Please include models and makes of locomotives (both steam and diesel.)

[Anonymous]

Hi David.Your proposed railroad sounds interesting,could you give more information?Like do you want passenger trains,how sharp the grades will be?On such a route the PRR might have used a pair of 4-6-2's on passenger,2-10-0 on slow freights,4-8-2's on fast freight.Diesel power like GP7,GP9,SD9,E8,RS3,PA and Baldwin Diesels.Most Pennsylvania railroads bought a few Baldwin Diesels cause they were made there.

[Anonymous]

Dear Joseph,

Thank you for responding to my "cry for help," as it were. I am not sure of the grades, but if you could give me examples of the grades on the PRR's line to Erie, PA, and from Harrisburg, PA to Elmira, NY, it would be appreciated.

As far as trains are concerned, I do want to run passenger trains. So far, some routes I have come up with are fast trains connecting Baltimore, Harrisburg, and a mythical large city near Williamsport (to be named later); slow trains connecting said cities to Erie, PA and Youngstown, OH; and overnight trains connecting the mythical city in northern PA to Erie and Youngstown (with the sleepers coupled to the slow trains), Harrisburg, and possibly even Toronto on an unmodled portion connecting to Canadian National (I am from Canada, so I felt I should include something Canadian).

I also would like to know what types of switchers would be used in freight yards and coach yards, how a coach yard was organized, and if there would be any electrified tracks in northern Pennsylvania (I want to have some kind of electrical power on the layout). If not, then I can always operate the electrics near Harrisburg, perhaps as a partner of the PRR's Harrisburg electrification.

David

[Anonymous]

What size railroad are you trying to model. It sounds like a Reading, Lehigh Valley or Lackawanna regional. If so, I would have a number of Alco RS3's and FA's. You should also have a number of EMD's such as F units and for passenger, EMD again, probably FP7A's and b's or maybe some steam equipped GP7's. E units would be nice, but I'd stay away from them. Also some GP7's and SD7's would be nice. I would also suggest that whatever paint scheme you choose, that for the newer power, it be more somber, reflecting the effort to improve the operating ratio. If you want to stretch into the mid-50's, some FM's would be good. Reading and Lackawanna had some. My preference would be to have no steam. Regionals in that area were struggling at that time and would have been anxious again to improve the operating ratio. Some stored in deadlines in yards would be a nice touch or maybe held for power shortages near the roundhouse. For these I would suggest a small mix of some 4-8-4's, 4-6-4's, 2-8-2's and 2-8-4's. Maybe even a 2-8-8-2 that at one time was used as a helper. Some could be displayed with the number white-lined ready for the scrapper. You could also convert a tender for derrick train service. For yard power, EMD SW12's, Alco S1's or maybe FM H16-44's (Baby Trainmasters). As for passenger trains, maybe your railroad should also project the initiatives taken by some in the area to extricate themselves from that market. Some lightweight cars formerly in through service, heavyweight head-end cars and maybe two or three business cars. It would be a nice touch for the business cars to have a former intercity diner and sleeper assigned to them. If you're really into it, you could kitbash a coach into a business train sleeper. David, Thanks for the opportunity to dream. Good luck, it sounds like a big project. Keep the faith!
Don Corbin.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the help. I do want to have some steam on the layout. Perhaps the local trains, perhaps some light freight service.

On my railroad, passenger service will still be there, even though it was not very profitable (sp?) at the time.

It will not be very big in comparison to other lines, but partnerships with other lines will make it big.

[Anonymous]

My friend, it's your railroad, you can have anything you want. Good luck!

[dknelson]

I have posted this advice before -- try to find a Car and Locomotive Builders Cyclopaedia from the era you model. That was sort of like the Walthers catalog for the prototype railroads. By that time of course steam was no longer made, and no railroad has totally new stuff. Maybe one from the late 40s would make sense.
Also search out Trains magazines from that era --that will show what the railfans were seeing trackside at the time, and sometimes you can get old magazines at swap meets for 10 cents a copy
Dave Nelson

[Anonymous]

One more thought...some Budd cars might be nice! Enjoy your own empire! gdc

[Anonymous]

Hi David,me again.You might consider posting your question on the Pennsylvania forum at www.railroad.net/ users of that forum seem to Know a lot about the state.I model a fictional merger of the Erie and Milwaukee which uses steam and Diesel.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in the era in the hard coal mining region of Pa.. Although steam continued in small pockets until '56, most of the roads in this region were quick to go diesel. Lots of F3's and F7's, lots of GP7's and GP9's, from EMD of course. Lots of RS2's and RS3's, and some FA1's from ALCO. Of course Fairbanks Morse and Baldwin made entries with various models from the era, AS16's VO1000's, etc from Baldwin and H16's and H24's from Fairbanks Morse. See if you can get a copy of the First Diesel Spotters Guide. Of course there were other oddities, like SW8's with dynamic brakes on the LV. You really cant go wrong with any model from the era regardless of builder, they tried them all.

[Anonymous]

The B&A railroad ran electric trolley car "things" (you'de have to reasearch what they were) from annapolis to Baltimore earlier they ran steam (ornate wetsern looking things)(late1800's) and randiesel SW7's from 70's-90's northern portion of the lne was used for the baltimore light rail.